Shortening a staple in American kitchens past

Feb. 12, 2013

Shortbread is a simple dessert requiring only flour, sugar and shortening or butter. / Submitted

Written by

Tammy Algood

For The Tennessean

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Margaret Rushing of Hendersonville asks: “Is ginger beer alcoholic or non-alcoholic? I have a recipe that calls for it and have never used it.”Margaret, it can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, so make sure you read the label carefully to distinguish between the two. Think of it as ginger ale with more of a ginger punch in flavor. Like ginger ale, it is carbonated.

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I grew up singing “Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’. Momma’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.” I doubt this song is chanted much today, but it was commonly heard in our house, particularly during this time of year.

Shortbread was a frequent dessert in our house because the only ingredients required were flour, sugar and shortening or butter. I love it to this day thanks to the recipe’s simplicity and the ease of having it ready to enjoy.

Perhaps that song is not as popular today because vegetable shortening is not as commonly used in the kitchen. It has fallen prey to those who wish to banish all things fat from their presence. But if you make piecrust or shortbread or fry chicken or any of countless other tasks in the kitchen, you know the value of this timeless ingredient.

Vegetable shortening is a practically flavorless fat made from soybean and cottonseed oils. It becomes solid thanks to hydrogenation, which makes it shelf stable at room temperature for up to one year.

The first pure vegetable shortening appeared commercially in 1911, but acceptance was not immediate. Too many cooks had pledged allegiance to lard and were reluctant to change their shopping habits. World War I initiated the shift when lard and butter were in short supply. It wasn’t long before what many deemed as a temporary transfer became a habit.

It remains a necessity for many cooks, and I love how it so easily blends with other ingredients. It should be stored tightly closed and away from light, which could cause development of off flavors and odors. That makes the pantry a perfect storage place, freeing up valuable refrigerator space.

You can use shortening for repeated fryings if kept at or below 375 degrees. The cooled but fluid shortening should be strained through cheesecloth in order to remove any food particles remaining from frying. Used shortening is not satisfactory for baking.